The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services is a citizens’ panel of rural health experts that convenes twice each year to examine pressing issues and make recommendations to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.  The most recently reports come from a meeting in Austin, Texas in April of this year, with an in-depth look at How Technology and Innovation Can Help Address Rural Health Care Challenges and Supporting Quality Measurement for Rural Health Clinics.

– January 9.   The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offer a one-year fellowship based in Washington, DC beginning in June 2025.  Hybrid/remote candidates will also be considered for work that contributes to USDA programs related to rural health, including collaborations with federal and nonfederal partners.  To be eligible for this program, applicants must have received their Masters or Doctorate degree prior to the beginning of the fellowship (no later than June 2025) or within the last five years (no earlier than May 2020). Graduate degrees must come from an ASPPH member graduate school or program of public health accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.

A feature article in The Rural Monitor shares the 30-year history of the RUPRI Health Panel, a nonpartisan policy analysis group.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) announced that the 2025 monthly facility payment amount for REHs will be $285,625.90.  Congress created REHs to preserve access to emergency and outpatient services in rural areas.  Each REH receives the same Additional Facility Payment amount, and this payment is intended to support the operation and maintenance of the facility and furnishing of services. FORHP funds the Rural Health Redesign Center to provide 1:1 technical assistance to help hospitals and communities make informed decisions about converting to this model of care.

This brief from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center shares results from key informant interviews with representatives of rural Triads (multi-sectoral community-based partnerships that address elder abuse) to illuminate rural-specific dimensions of this issue.

Open-access commentary from JAMA Network examines trends in the rural-urban distribution of clinicians through the federal National Health Service Corps, proposing that the persistent gap should be addressed with policies more purposefully tailored to rural areas.  The authors reference new data about the number and distribution of NHSC clinicians reported in cross-sectional study also published in JAMA Network this week.

Check out the fiscal year 2024 data to see where HRSA-supported providers are serving. More than 21,000 clinicians are making an impact across the U.S. and its territories in the areas that need them most. You can filter data discipline, state or territory, rural status, and more.

The Economic Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides an overview of social and economic factors affecting rural America, with a focus on population migration, poverty, child care and elder care, broadband, and employment. The annual resource includes county-level maps as well as metro and nonmetro comparisons.

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh held a roundtable discussion to inform development of the Shapiro Administration’s Maternal Health Strategic Plan. The event also promoted the maternal health strategic plan survey, which aims to collect community input primarily focused on woman’s lived experiences during pregnancy and the postpartum period while receiving maternal health care in Pennsylvania. Read more.

Access to affordable, comprehensive health care for those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is still available under the Affordable Care Act through Health Insurance Marketplaces nationwide, including Pennie. Enrolling in coverage is not considered a public charge determination and should have no impact on DACA recipient’s current status. There have not been any policy changes to date and enrollment assisters should continue to assist all those who do not qualify for Medicaid, Medicare or other coverages to preview options through Pennie by Dec. 15 for coverage to begin Jan. 1. The first initial premium payment must be made by Dec. 31 for policies to be made active.